Met New MD

[DracoM]

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/wish-list-yannick-nezet-seguin-and-metropolitan-opera/

I know the topic has been discussed, but wondered if Forumites might like a snoop at what an NYC classical station is saying.

[bluestateprommer]

One other source of "VOC" commentary on YNS' appointment to the Metropolitan Opera comes c/o the Philadelphia Inquirer, from a few articles:

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/music/classical/20160603_Yannick_Nzet-Sguin_gets_Met_job__will_also_stay_as_Phila__Orchestra_director.html

http://www.philly.com/philly/enterta...wo_cities.html (these 1st two are slight variations on each other)

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/david_patrick_stearns/20160602_With_new_Met_job__Nzet-Sguin_s_bright_star_just_keeps_rising.html

While I'm not the biggest fan of YNS, the vitriol in some of the comments is pretty dispiriting (but then such are internet comments). On the music, YNS is far from an innovator, but that's probably OK with most of the Met's audience. If nothing else, he'll definitely be more of a glad-hander and schmoozer with donors, which can only help. As long as YNS doesn't burn out and stays healthy for the long-run, in terms of his career, he's pretty much in the driver's seat.

[DracoM]

Blimey! See what you mean about vitriol.

[aeolium]

What I've heard of YNS' opera performances have been pretty good (e.g. the Cosi fan Tutte with the COE). As long as he doesn't overdo his conducting commitments at the Met he should be able to cope with both positions. Furtwängler was IIRC conductor of both the BPO and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra concurrently for some years, and later combined his BPO position with that of guest conductor at the VPO (with regular, and justly famous, operatic performances at the Salzburg Festival) - not that I'm suggesting any comparison between YNS and WF.

[Stanfordian]

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/wish-li...politan-opera/

I know the topic has been discussed, but wondered if Forumites might like a snoop at what an NYC classical station is saying.

Certainly Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a super conductor in my view but what sort of music director he will be at the Met is anyone’s guess. To stay long in the job he'll have to be one with traditional values to gain favour with the highly conservative Met audience. Schmoozing with donors goes without saying; part of the job description. I'm glad it wasn't given to Alan Gilbert who I don't rate especially highly. Levine with his chronic health problems had been hanging on there for far too long.

[bluestateprommer]

Chat in progress (or about to be, at the moment of this post) between YNS and the Governor General of Canada, Julie Payette:

https://www.gg.ca/en/ggconversations

The larger point, of course, is a head of state having a conversation with a major classical music figure. The contrast with the USA is all too obvious.